Instinctual Love
by BraviaryGirl7
Summary: It has been a few weeks since Nick and Judy have become partners in the ZPD. They get a day off together, planning to finally hang out as friends. And Nick has something special that he needs to get off of his furry chest. But what happens when they are interrupted by someone seeking vengeance?


**A/N: Hello! And welcome to the sixth and final one-shot, centered on the ever-popular Zootopia! Ta-da! And, of course, focuses on the pairing of Judy and Nick. This is the longest of the six one-shots. Not that that matters. Well, it certainly fun to write. Fun fact; this is loosely based on a dream I had a short while after seeing Zootopia. Anyway, I don't own the masterpiece that is Zootopia. Disney holds that honor. And here are none other that Judy and Nick with a very special message!**

 **Nick: Yeah, hello, readers. And, happy sixth day of your birth-week, CarnelianFox.**

 **Judy: Or, you could say 'Happy day before your birthday'.**

 **Nick: Yeah, you could. Anyway, congratulations on making it so far. That takes a strong heart.**

 **Amen to that. And here we go!**

 **Instinctual Love**

 **...**

Nick Wilde took in a deep breath as he walked leisurely in the afternoon sun toward his destination. Strolling through the streets of the lively, colorful city of Zootopia was enough to energize anyone. Or overwhelm someone who was not a city person.

Nick was on his way to meet with his partner, Judy Hopps. It had been several weeks since he had become Judy's partner in the ZPD. It was very strange; just a short while ago, he had been trying to get out of helping the rabbit with her case, and now he could not imagine his life without her.

At first glance, one might think that he was going to meet with his partner with work, but in truth, the two of them had managed to get a day off. Besides, he was not wearing his uniform; rather, his normal green leaf-patterned shirt, his beige jeans, and his striped tie. Nick was glad it was a day off. The two of them had never really gotten the chance to just hang out together casually outside of work. Not even before Nick had become a cop. Although, that was a different story entirely.

Nick smiled as he reminisced the escapades he and Judy had gone through in those rather ridiculous days. He inwardly laughed at a few of the more comical things that had happened to the two of them. And he knew that many more adventures of every kind would surely be headed their way. And he eagerly anticipated them.

Nick was currently making his way to a park in Zootopia's City Center. That was where he and Judy had decided to meet. Nick was especially looking forward to this meeting, because he had decided that that day would be the day that he told Judy how he really felt about her. He had even practiced his confession with Judy's carrot pen, which he was carrying with him in his pocket. The prospect of it excited him and scared him at the same time. Well, he would worry about it later.

…

Nick took in a long breath of the crisp, evening air as he approached his destination. The park in question was very wide and spacious. Near the entrance was a space of playground equipment for children. But for the most part, the park itself was a vast area of lush, green grass, the occasional bunch of trees here and there, and naturally rolling hills.

It was quite a popular place for resident mammals and their families, but in the evening it was very peaceful and quiet, making it the perfect place for a day of relaxation. Nick spotted Judy sitting comfortably against a shady tree, leaning on the trunk. She was wearing her pink shirt and blue jeans. She seemed to be relaxed. When she saw Nick, her eyes lit up and she waved to him.

"Hey, Nick! Over here!" she called, gesturing for him to come over. Nick couldn't help but smile. Even on a day of relaxation, Judy had boundless energy. And if he was completely honest, it was rather contagious. As Nick made his way over to her, they smiled at each other. "Isn't this place great?"

"Well, it's definitely peaceful, Carrots," Nick agreed, settling down next to Judy. "Especially after that crazy week." Indeed, it had been quite the busy week for the pair of cops. Nick preferred not to think about it at the time.

"Aw, come on, Nick. It wasn't _that_ bad," Judy said, nudging him playfully. "We did a lot of good this week."

"True," Nick chuckled. So, the two of them began to talk. Their conversation consisted of nothing too deep, mostly just idle, small talk and chatter. But they both immensely enjoyed each other's company, no matter what they were doing together. However, unbeknownst to the two of them, they were being watched. A few hills away from them, a figure hid behind a tree, watching them and glaring angrily at them.

Stepping out of the shadows, but still not within the two officers' line of sight, the figure was revealed to be a young ewe with brown eyes. In her left hoof, she tightly gripped a special gun. The same kind of gun that was used on the targeted predators during the Night Howler incident.

The ewe's name was Kate Bellwether. She was former mayor Dawn Bellwether's younger sister. When Dawn was caught and sent to prison, Kate was left all alone with no one to turn to. Kate could no longer see her bespectacled sister. For that, she blamed Judy and Nick. In her eyes, it was because of them that she was all alone and got suspicious glares on the streets.

The fires of hatred and vengeance burned within her. The steaming drive to makes things even was the only thing spurring her on at that moment. She aimed the gun at Nick. Right at his neck. The now very quiet voice of her conscious was once again trying to speak up against her angry thoughts, but was drowned out by the thirst for revenge at this point.

 _How about if I take something special of yours?!_ She thought furiously. To her knowledge, all the serum would do was make Nick no longer care about Judy. She grit her teeth, glared harder, and pulled the trigger.

Exactly one minute before this happened, Nick and Judy were still chatting away with each other like old friends, though they technically had not known each other that long. Still, they already had a strong enough connection to reach that wavelength. At the moment, they were talking about their first case together, before Nick even became an officer.

"I never thought blueberries would end up saving our lives," Judy reminisced with a fond and amused smile.

"It's true they _are_ good for you," Nick said playfully. Judy laughed a little. Then, she wore an expression that was a mix of remembrance and slyness.

"The blueberries saved our lives, and the carrot pen helped us close the case," Judy recalled, still with a smile on her face. Her ears slid back and she looked up at Nick slyly. "And, uh, speaking of the pen…" Nick tried hard not to look at her and even harder not to laugh. "You said you'd be done borrowing it today?"

"Uh, what pen might you be referring to?" Nick answered Judy's question with a question, with his tricky smile on his face.

"Oh, you know, the recording pen that provided us with the evidence we needed to prove Bellwether's guilt," Judy shot back, not missing a beat with their banter.

"Hmm, let me think…" Nick pretended to try and remember the pen they were talking about. In truth, he did not have the pen in question in his pocket for the sole purpose of returning it to Judy. In actuality, the current recording on the pen was a Plan B of sorts, should he lose his nerve when he tried to confess. He certainly hoped it wouldn't come to that. It looked rather pathetic in his head. Nick faked sudden recollection as he reached into his pocket and pulled out the pen in question. "You mean this pen?"

"Thank you," Judy thanked as she reached for the orange, carrot-shaped pen.

"Wait," Nick stopped her, holding up his other paw in front of her.

"Something wrong?" Judy asked, tilting her head in confusion. Nick's throat was dry. He swallowed to try and fix that. He had not expected to be so nervous. After all, he had rehearsed his confession many, many times. He had truly hoped that the moment would go more smoothly. He mentally smacked himself in the face to regain focus.

"Nothing's wrong," the red fox assured the bunny. "I just want to tell you something first."

"Oh! Okay," Judy nodded, smiling. "Go ahead." Nick took a deep breath. It was now or never.

"Carrots… I…" Nick began, his heart beating out of his chest. He was just about to gather the courage to say the last two words. Unfortunately, that moment just happened to be the exact moment that Kate pulled the trigger on the gun. Nick yelped in pain as he was shot in the neck by… something. It was not a bullet, though. In the surprise of the moment, he accidently flung the carrot pen behind him, and it tumbled down the hill.

"Oh, Nick!" Judy cried out in panic, rushing almost unrealistically fast to her dear friend's side. "Nick, are you okay?"

"I…" Nick was not sure how to answer because he was not sure if he was okay. Nick felt the spot on his neck that had just been shot. It was wet… Was it blood? No, it didn't feel like blood, it felt… stickier than that. He was so confused for a moment. Then he felt his heart rate speed up, and his breathing with it. His heart raced alongside his head. Something was wrong. He knew it. But he was too vertiginous to be able to place it.

"Nick, are you okay?" Judy repeated, becoming increasingly worried with each passing second that her best friend remained in pain on the ground. She looked carefully at the spot that had gotten shot. There was a strange liquid substance that seemed to be oozing from that spot. It was definitely not blood. It was… dark blue, almost an indigo color. "Nick?"

"Hah… hah…" Nick panted hard, as if he couldn't breathe. His mind seemed to be deteriorating. What was happening to him? He couldn't understand. All around him seemed to disappear. He felt himself drifting away…

"Nick…?" Judy spoke his name desperately and nervously. She was overcome with relief when Nick got up off the ground. But her ears and heart fell with panic when she realized that Nick was staying on all fours, and was beginning to _growl_. She was filled with an odd mixture of despair and terror when all at once, she realized what was happening. _Night Howlers_. "Nick…"

"Grr…" the feral fox growled as his snarling gaze fixed on the disheartened rabbit. He wasn't sure just what had come over him, but all of a sudden, he had this uncontrollable urge… An urge to _kill_. His gaze locked on the prey right in front of him. This prey would not move. It looked afraid, but it was not fleeing. It was so _vulnerable_ , so _helpless_. _He had to have it_.

"Nick!" Judy cried out desperately, getting to her feet just in time before Nick would have pinned her down in his lunge. Her heart racing like a hummingbird, she managed to roll out of his way when Nick rushed her and tried to pounce on her again.

To buy herself some time, though she felt awfully bad about it, she kicked some dirt into the savage fox's eyes, obscuring his vision long enough for her to duck behind a tree to think of a plan. Though, during his second leap, he had managed to get a swipe of his claws to her face. Ironically, he scratched her in the exact same place that Gideon Grey had scratched her 15 years prior.

"He… He's really trying to kill her…" Kate muttered to herself in horror. In shock, the gun slipped out of her hoof and onto the ground. Suddenly, she understood what her sister's plan to bring peace to Zootopia had truly been. All that it had been was a ploy for power. And it hadn't mattered who got in the way.

Kate fell to her knees and held her head in despair. All those lies she had been fed about her sister's actions, all those justifications for making mammals suffer. They were all clear as day at that moment. Kate's only intention had been to take Nick away from Judy, but she had never wanted to _kill_ anyone.

Now that her anger had vanished, Kate realized that her pursuits for vengeance, had they been carried any farther, would have done nothing but hurt others. Now that she could think clearly, she simply saw no way that her sister's methods could have helped anyone, like she had said. Kate was now filled with regret… but what more could she do?

Kate's eyes suddenly widened. She realized that there _was_ something she could do, one thing that came to mind. Her expression morphing into one of determination, she stood up. She could still fix this. She had to try. And she ran as fast as she could.

Meanwhile, Judy was trying her best to keep her panicked breathing quiet as she hid from her best friend behind a tree. She could hear him nearby, looking, listening, _hunting_ for her. She had no idea what to do. The last time this scene had played out, they had both been acting, but this was clearly no act. She was scared; not just for herself, but for Nick. She didn't want him to end up in an asylum, and she _definitely_ did not want to hurt him. Besides, she didn't currently have her gun on her. Plus, she could not call for backup from the ZPD, because she had also left her walkie-talkie back at her apartment.

"Oh, Nick…" Judy mouthed to herself as tears formed in her eyes. What could she possibly do? The now-feral Nick, who was keeping his senses sharp to find his prey, stopped in his tracks for a moment when he stepped on something that was definitely not grass.

Confused, he looked down at his paw to see the carrot pen he had accidentally thrown away before he had gone savage. No longer caring for it, he knocked the pen away with his paw, in the direction of the tree that Judy happened to be hiding behind.

The pen flew into Judy's view, and she knew Nick was nearby. It all felt so wrong. She always felt so safe around Nick, but now she had no choice but to hide from him, because now her life was on the line. And if she did not hide, she would be killed instantly. A tear ran down Judy's scratched cheek as she wondered what in the world she could do. The pen landed right on a small pebble, right on the 'Play' button. It began playing its current recording.

" _Uh, hello? Testing, testing,_ " the recorded voice of Nick said from in the pen. Judy's ears perked up at the sound of Nick's voice. She curiously listened to the recording, while also remaining alert for the real Nick. " _Okay, assuming that this thing is recording, uh, what I'm about to say is kind of my 'Plan B' in case, while I'm trying to say this to your face, Carrots, I lose my nerve or something interrupts me. I really hope it doesn't come to that, because then it looks really pathetic._ "

Judy was very interested now, at the mention of Nick's pet name for her. The sound of a sigh came from the pen. " _Uh, well, here it goes, I guess. What I've been trying to say is… well… I love you, Carrots. As in, more than a friend._ " Judy gasped in astonishment, and more tears welled up in her amethyst eyes. A frustrated groan sounded from the pen. " _Come on, Nick! Are you_ trying _to sound like an idiot? …Wait, is thing still recording?_ " That seemed to be the end of the recording. Based on the last sentence, it seemed that Nick had not intended to record his frustration, but it made Judy smile nonetheless.

"Oh, Nick…" Judy mumbled to herself through tears. Even she had no idea how glad she was to hear that. She had come to terms with the fact that she was in love with him long ago, and hearing that he loved her back lifted her spirits up to the moon, even in such a desperate situation.

She snapped back to reality, however, when the face of the snarling, savage fox appeared in front of her. With a startled yelp, she realized that Nick, still savage, had found her, and now she was cornered. She tried to back up, but she was trapped by the trunk of the tree. It was just like the end of their first case together, but this time, the fox truly was about to kill her.

She looked into his eyes. There seemed to be nothing but aggression. It broke her heart to see him like this. She saw no way out. It seemed this was the end. Her expression of sadness switched to one of determination. If this was truly the end, there was still one thing that she wanted to do. Nick crept closer, and closer still. His fangs were bared. He was ready to strike at any moment.

Judy sighed. She knew Nick would attack in a matter of seconds. If she was going to do it, she had to do it quickly. His face was only an inch away from hers. She took her chance. Closing her eyes, she simply leaned forward and delivered a soft, gentle kiss to his muzzle.

The fox stopped dead in his tracks. He felt something reawaken inside him. There was something else besides his instincts that was talking to him. Something that told him, 'No! You can't attack her!' For a very brief moment he was unsure what it was. Then, the vertigo hit him again. Stumbling, he shook his head vigorously, trying to figure out what was happening. Then, it all came back to him. But, he felt… so… tired…

"Carrots…" he managed to say. Judy was filled with overwhelming relief to hear him speak. Joyful tears fell from her eyes. "I'm sorry…" His voice was no louder than a whisper. Then, his eyes closed and he fell to the ground, out cold.

"Nick!" Judy gasped, kneeling down next to him and worriedly shaking him to try to wake him up. "Nick, don't do this. Stay with me, okay?!"

"Hopps!" a deep voice with a familiar English accent bellowed. Judy turned her head to the source of the voice, and sure enough, Chief Bogo was approaching, tailed by a young ewe. The ewe had a sorry look in her eyes. "This young lady told me there was a situation here." Bogo gestured to the ewe. Then the chief wore an expression of bewilderment on his face. "…And then, she told me to arrest her when this was over." Judy looked carefully at the ewe. She seemed very regretful. When she noticed Judy looking at her, she mouthed 'I'm sorry' and then looked down in shame. With that, Judy understood. She was not appreciative of the fact that this ewe had made Nick go savage, but she was glad that the ewe had decided to try and fix her mistake, and own up for it. "So, what's the situation?"

"Oh!" Judy exclaimed as she remembered poor Nick's condition. "Chief, we need to get Nick to the hospital; NOW!" Chief Bogo took a quick look at Nick, and understood. He nodded, and then proceeded to carry the unconscious officer to the aforementioned hospital, with Judy and Kate close behind. Kate tried extremely hard not to look at Judy. She had to when Judy tapped her on the shoulder as they were walking behind the police chief. Kate looked at Judy with a mixture of guilt and fear. She was terrified of what Judy might have to say to her. But to her surprise, Judy gave her a smile and mouthed the words 'Thank you'. With tears in her eyes, Kate smiled gratefully at Judy. She knew she would be doing time when it was all over, but she really didn't mind. She knew she had it coming. She was just glad that she was being forgiven anyway.

…

Later, in the hospital, Nick groaned as he woke up, his muscles sore from the ordeal he had gone through. There had been no physical injuries, but the Night Howler serum coursing through his veins had depleted a great deal of his energy. As he viewed his surroundings, he concluded that he was in a hospital, wearing one of the hospital gowns, and that he must have passed out.

He then noticed Judy sitting in one of the chairs by the door, with a very sleepy look on her face. Judging by the sky outside the window, it was after dark. How long had Judy been waiting for him to wake up? Judy had not yet noticed that he had woken up. She was staring forlornly out the window.

"Carrots?" Nick called. Judy's ears shot up like furry bullets at the sound of Nick's voice. She finally saw that Nick was awake—and, therefore, alright.

"Nick!" Judy cried as she practically pounced on him and nearly squeezed the life out of him.

"Ow! Ow, ow, ow, ow! Carrots!" Nick hissed, not minding the hug, but needing to breathe.

"Oh, I'm sorry," Judy sniffled as she let go of him. She then smiled. "You're alright."

"You bunnies are always so emotional," Nick chuckled, confirming that he was, indeed, alright. It was then that he noticed the scratches on Judy's cheek, and his smile disappeared. Absentmindedly, his right paw reached out to gently touch it. Judy felt her face heat up when he did. "Oh, no…"

"No, Nick, it's okay," Judy hurriedly tried to reassure him, immediately understanding what the matter was.

"No, it's not," Nick disagreed, looking away from her. He took back his paw and placed it on his forehead in shame. "I'm so sorry, Carrots…"

"Nick, it's _not_ your fault," Judy suddenly grabbed Nick's paw and spoke with such vigor that it surprised him. Her expression softened, and she kept speaking. "Please, don't blame yourself, okay?"

"…Okay," Nick nodded after a few seconds of silence. The mood seemed to lighten. Nick asked how long he would be in there, and Judy answered by saying that he would probably be let out in the morning. Judy felt that this was a good time to pick up where they left off.

"So, Nick, you had something you wanted to tell me?" Judy asked slyly. Nick's face distorted to one of restrained panic. Somehow, he had a feeling that Judy already knew. After he said nothing, Judy decided to take out the carrot pen that she had picked up before leaving for the hospital. "Don't try to deny it; it's your word against yours, Nick."

"…Nice," Nick finally said, voice brimming with sarcasm. As if his day was not bad enough already. He looked away from her in embarrassment. That sly expression still there, Judy leaned closer to Nick and whispered in his ear.

"I love you, too," she said. It was only four words. Four little words. And yet, the meaning they had seemed bigger than the planet itself. Nick looked at her, surprised. Then, gazing into her eyes, he realized she was being completely sincere, and smiled his wide, sly smile.

"Well, isn't that lucky?" he asked rhetorically, getting lost in her eyes.

"I guess so," Judy shot back, laughing softly. For a moment, they just stood completely still, gazing into each other's eyes. Then, to the surprise of both of them, they began to rub noses. It was a new experience for them, and one they really enjoyed. They continued that for a minute, and then realized how late it was getting.

"Guess we better get some sleep soon," Nick said with a tired look in his eyes.

"Yeah," Judy nodded in agreement. Then, to Nick's surprise, she gently wrapped her arms around his neck, leaned forward, and kissed him again. This time, the kiss was prolonged. Nick, feeling his heart soaring up to the heavens, lovingly wrapped his arms around Judy to pull her closer. This time, there was nothing to interrupt them. Their hearts seemed to dance in sync with each other, their love at last being transferred to each other. When they finally pulled away, they both smiled at each other. "Good night."

"Good night, Carrots," Nick said as Judy lay down on the bed next to his. With a sleepy yawn, he drifted off to sleep, with Judy following suit.

In case it still isn't clear, the reason that the kiss was able to cure Nick of the Night Howler's curse was because his love for her was so pure, so natural, that it had by then become a part of his instinct. And Judy's love for Nick was just as great, so she was able to snap him out of it. From the beginning of their friendship, their love seemed to be destined. An instinctual love.

...

 **A/N: And with that, the barrage of one-shots I have written has come to a close! So, sorry if this one doesn't make much sense. And, I get it! This has been done before! ...Apparently. Just for the record, I had the dream this is based off of way before I started reading other Zootopia fan stuff. Anyway, if you liked this, or want something better, please go check out CarnelianFox's Zootopia stories. They're both really great! And, CarnelianFox, I hope you liked this! And, although this might be the last one-shot, your birthday present from me is still yet to be posted. I won't tell you what it is, though! Check back tomorrow if you're interested! Adios!**


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